The kitchen sink area is one of the most important yet often overlooked parts of a kitchen. Having proper lighting over the sink is essential for creating a functional, safe, and stylish kitchen space. When selecting lighting for over the sink, there are a few key factors to consider including brightness, positioning/mounting, and light color. Typically, the best lights for over kitchen sinks are LED or fluorescent fixtures that provide bright, shadow-free illumination directly over the sink.
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How Much Light is Needed Over the Sink?
The kitchen sink is used for important care tasks like washing dishes, preparing food, and grooming. These tasks require strong, bright lighting for accuracy and safety. According to lighting experts, the sink area should have a minimum illumination level of 50-75 footcandles. Footcandles measure the intensity of light in a given area. For comparison, an average office has 30-50 footcandles of ambient lighting. So the sink needs nearly twice as much direct light.
To achieve 50-75 footcandles over the sink, the light source should be mounted directly overhead, not more than 36 inches above the counter. Pendant lights, track lights, and under-cabinet lights are good choices to provide close, focused lighting on sink tasks. Light sources that are too far away, like an overhead ceiling fixture, will not deliver enough intense light for the sink, even if the bulb is very bright. The closer the light can be mounted to the sink, the better.
Types of Lights for Over the Kitchen Sink
There are several common options for over sink lighting including:
Pendant Lights
Pendant lights are lights that hang down from the ceiling over the sink on a cord or chain. They allow you to position the light source close to the task area for maximum illumination. Pendant lights work well over kitchen islands, peninsulas, and sinks located in open floor plans. Mini-pendant lights are a version with smaller shades, usually measuring less than 18 inches wide. These are ideal for compact sinks.
Track Lighting
Track lighting consists of electric track rails mounted to the ceiling with adjustable individual spotlights. The benefit of track lighting is being able to point and arrange multiple spotlights over the sink. So you can angle the lights to reduce shadows and highlights. Tracks should be mounted as close to the sink as possible, no farther than 36 inches above.
Under Cabinet Lights
Under cabinet lighting consists of LED light strips or puck lights mounted inside or underneath wall-mounted cabinets over the sink. They provide direct, task-focused illumination. Under cabinet lights work best for sinks located against walls with upper cabinets. Be sure to get lighting rated for bathroom/kitchen use.
Recessed/Can Lighting
Recessed downlights (also called can lights) can be installed into the ceiling over the sink. These need to be powerful, focused lights rated for damp locations. Make sure the can lights can be positioned close enough to the sink workspace to provide sufficient illumination – no more than 36 inches above the counter.
Island Pendants
For kitchen islands, mini pendant lights or drum pendant lights installed over the sink provide great task lighting. Island pendants should hang 24-36 inches above the counter. One large pendant light will create shadows. So it’s better to install multiple smaller island pendants spaced closely together.
Lighting Features
Here are some key features to look for when shopping for sink lighting:
Brightness
The brightness of a light fixture is measured in lumens. To light a kitchen sink area, look for pendants, under-cabinet lights, or recessed lights in the range of 800-1100 lumens. Very small sinks may only need 500 lumens. Large double sinks may need 1600+ lumens for even illumination.
Light Color
Light color, or color temperature, is measured in Kelvin (K). The best options for kitchen task lighting are cool white (3500-4100K), bright white (3000-3500K) or natural white (4000-5000K). These vivid white lights make it easier to see details for cleaning, food prep, and grooming. Avoid soft white or warm white lights which are too yellow.
Dimmable
Dimmable sink lights allow you to adjust the brightness as needed. Dimmable LED and fluorescent fixtures are recommended so you can create the right ambience for the task.